10 Reasons Why Should You Always Finish Reading Difficult Content

Let’s be honest. Reading lengthy texts can bog you down and demotivate you.

In our current age where information is abundantly available, sometimes, finishing long reads can be upsetting.

Not only that, but the average attention span only lasts for about eight seconds, according to a study. So focusing on lengthy material is challenging and nerve-wracking at times.

While reading difficult content, you should always start with the idea that you’re reading to learn deeply.

So the question is, why should you always finish reading difficult content? And what benefits do we get in doing so?

More of that is in this article, so keep reading.

10 Reasons Why You Should Always Finish Reading Difficult Content

You might wonder why reading a hard text can be helpful to you.

But actually, it’s a worthwhile experience for you when you finish reading something complicated.

One important point to remember is that it’s still crucial to read. It’s a mental exercise we always do. And improving on it can greatly affect your daily life.

With that, here are my top 10 reasons why it’s best to always finish reading difficult text.

1) It sharpens your intellectual capacity

Your mind is a workshop that has all the tools and machines needed to be productive. The same can be said about your intellectual capacity.

And by reading challenging material, you sharpen your ability to understand difficult readings.

The brain is a wonderful machine that can process lots of information. But you could get bogged down by unfamiliar content. So, reading intently is key to sharpening your brain’s comprehensiveness.

That’s why when you read such material, you take time to delve and focus on it. Thus, this process sharpens your mental capacity.

2) It expands your subject’s knowledge base

You should expand your comprehension of a subject. And the best way to do this is by reading challenging content!

What most people do is store more information in their stock knowledge and never enhance it afterwards.

And that’s challenging because you will need to re-learn the subject and add more details to it. 

Take note that there’s a difference between intellectual capacity and knowledge base. The former is how much you can take and how long you can focus. Meanwhile, the latter is what you know about a subject.

So, the best way to remedy this is to keep on learning by reading more related material.

3) It improves critical thinking abilities

One of the most important steps in any learning method is to think critically about a subject. Asking questions will help you understand any subject.

This goes perfectly with reading difficult material. You’ll have more chances to expand your knowledge by asking the hard questions.

It also sparks your curiosity on the subject, and it will be rewarding for you how easy it is to understand.

This way, you can enhance how important any details are in your subject. Asking the right questions and having the answers builds up your critical thinking ability.

4) It develops vocabulary and language usage

With difficult text comes unknown words that might confuse you. It can throw you off and wander around and it will prove to be hard to continue reading.

But this shouldn’t upset you, because it poses an opportunity for you to learn new words and unfamiliar expressions.

It’s also beneficial for you when you learn certain foreign words that sound complicated. But once you encounter it again in the future, it shouldn’t be as surprising at all.

5) It gives clearer focus and concentration

Procrastination has been a norm when it comes to reading. But it shouldn’t be for you. 

We live in a current age where people spend more time on small bits of information, than more time spending on a single material. This doesn’t help with concentration.

You need to be completely engaged in the material you’re reading. In turn, your brain becomes more focused and immersed, blocking off all distractions.

This also creates a discipline of easy focus which you can apply on any task, not just with reading hard texts.

Consistently challenging yourself with difficult content trains your brain to concentrate more. Your brain will interpret it as “I should not miss any more details from here on out.”

Lastly, maintaining clear focus applies to every aspect of your life. Once you’ve developed this habit, it’s not easy to let it go from there.

6) It develops your virtue of perseverance

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill said it very well. Once you start reading difficult texts, you must have the courage to finish it.

You might feel exhausted as you read lengthy content, but the benefits will last long with you.

The will to start and finish whatever task, whether it’s reading or writing, develops that virtue of perseverance.

You could get tempted by distractions, but being resilient to get back on track is what matters most.

And remember, the fact that you are reading a difficult text is a surefire sign that you’re determined to finish it.

7) It provides personal satisfaction

When you finish reading difficult material, you’ll feel that sense of satisfaction. Completing such a tremendous task truly feels rewarding.

This shows that you can deal with other harder tasks, and not just reading or writing about a subject material. 

That sense of accomplishment boosts your self-esteem and confidence to keep pushing on.

And that positive energy will radiate around you, your studies, and even in all aspects of your daily life.

8) It deepens your comprehension

Reading between the lines deepens your understanding of the subject, especially if it’s challenging material.

The reason for the difficulty will make sense to you once you’ve fully grasped the subject.

From that point, you immerse yourself in it and extend what you’ve learned in your daily living.

A good point to remember: keeping yourself on the superficial level of what you’ve read will make you stagnant and unmotivated.

9) It enhances your decision-making

Reading challenging materials also enhances your decision-making process. When you invest time and energy in it, you’re also gaining more knowledge that will help you decide on serious matters.

Let me give an example. While reading a case study about people’s average attention span, you’ll gain insight that people nowadays are not easily focused on what they read.

The unusual expressions, words, difficult themes and subjects provide comprehension that can influence your future decisions.

And once you’re equipped with a great set of information about different topics, your choices in life will change for the better.

10) It promotes appreciation for creative and intellectual efforts

We sometimes overlook the creative aspect and the intellectual side of any challenging content.

Many people contributed to produce a good textbook that brings all the knowledge on the table for you.

And by starting and finishing that challenging content they made a direct appreciation to their efforts.

Our brains are flexible enough to take in as much information as necessary. With that, we can deeply appreciate and acknowledge the experts and researchers about a topic.

10 Tips on How to Finish Reading Difficult Content

1) Set achievable goals

Failing to plan is planning to fail. Know more about different planning techniques (one example is the Sunday planning system) that suit your lifestyle. By properly setting your activities ahead of time, you won’t procrastinate. You can default to your schedule and check your journal about what’s important.

In reading, you should also have clear goals in mind. You can dive deeply into any content, but what is your purpose for why you’re reading it? 

• Is it for fun? 
• Do you have a case study that you’re working on? 
• How much time do you need for a reading session?

By asking these questions, you can identify your goals so you can stay on course with your reading.

2) Scan the material first

You should give a quick scan on the material you’re about to read. This will help your brain estimate how much information it’s expecting to take in.

Check the chapters’ notes, look at the context clues, and words that seem unfamiliar. Familiarize yourself how it was written. This way it’ll be easier for you to go through the text,

By doing these, you relieve yourself of any expected pressure and feel less intimidated about it.

3) Write notes

Writing notes while reading is one of the best ways to retain more information than reading itself. You can indicate the page numbers where you left off. Or, you can also write down key points that cannot be missed.

Don’t hesitate to look up unfamiliar words and expressions, and write them down. But remember, only get to the gist of the material.

4) Summarize each chapter

Write in your own words what you think is the main point of a chapter as a summary. This will engage your critical thinking ability.

By asking questions, you stay on course with the subject while exploring its many correlations. It will help you understand what the content is, no matter how difficult it can be.

Compared to passive reading, it’s a lot better to critique a certain topic or subject. And your aim is to learn from it.

5) Have your own copy 

Get yourself a physical copy of a book your reading, or a photocopy of a page you’re studying from. Especially if you want to write notes on a page but don’t want to mess it up.

You can also download an ebook from an online free library, where you can access thousands of books scanned for your easy reference.

How about audiobooks?

Audiobooks are still considered books, since you’re actively engaging yourself on its contents, though it’s through hearing. The only downside for it is you can’t write notes or highlight a specific part. So, keeping a notebook or journal handy at all times is a must.

If you both have an ebook and audiobook version of the same material, it will be a very immersive experience. A good place to start is LibriVox, where everything is public domain, and very accessible.

6) Use supplementary resources

It’s also beneficial for you to consult other resources that can help explain what you’re reading about. This can be written articles, books, and videos about the same subject.

You can also look up the referenced materials in the book you’re reading. There’s a bibliography included in most of the textbooks. By looking them up, you can use them as your resources to help you with that challenging material.

7) Reading groups

Joining a group where you read the same material brings the support and motivation you need to push yourself. Difficult materials don’t need to be tackled alone. And you’re not alone in reading it.

Discuss the content with your community. Feel free to ask questions for clarity. This way you can gain insights and perspectives from other readers and students.

8) Take breaks

You need to take a break! It’s mentally frustrating to do something active for a long while. Resting for a few minutes will help your brain absorb what you’ve read.

Avoid burnout by stretching from time to time. Hype yourself up a little bit with a cup of water or coffee. Eat some quick snacks. Breathe in and out a little. After that, continue reading. But don’t overdo it.

By taking intervals of rest, you can remain focused and upbeat for hours of reading.

9) Find motivation

Know your main reason why you’re reading that difficult content in the first place. This will help you have the mind to keep reading in the first place. It’s sad and depressing to feel detached from your reading.

Are you reading it for your personal growth? Are you seeking an answer to a lingering question? Is it for an upcoming test that you want to pass? Asking these questions will help you be motivated in reading.

10) Be consistent

Setting aside time every day for reading will set your mind to continue doing it in the upcoming days. Doing this will train your brain to commit to this task at such a specific time.

You can overcome the difficulty of reading complicated content by allotting time to it. This is so you don’t overdo it, and get stressed out. You both save enough time for other activities and keep your mind sharp for other tasks.

Don’t be afraid to re-read the text where it is most confusing. Sometimes, the second look is what it takes to fully get the whole context. This is consistency and persistence in reading comprehension.

What Are the Benefits of Reading Difficult Texts?

Although a hard-to-read text can be frustrating, there are still great benefits that you can experience from it.

Your pool of information increases, and the satisfaction of reading difficult material sets in. You also develop a sense of discipline and diligence in finishing your reading sessions.

Here is an in-depth list of the benefits you can garner from reading challenging content:

1) You become well-informed

It’s better to finish a difficult content than skipping through and picking parts you like. By reading it as a whole, you can put the pieces of information together and relate it to your research.

Next thing you’ll realize is how much it could help you with your daily life. This is because reading challenges you to be knowledgeable. Sure enough, you’ll understand the content more than what you’re looking for.

2) You feel satisfied

Any tough task is very satisfying when finished. Same goes with reading difficult content. Not only does it relieve you, but it helps your mind prepare for the next reading session.

The saying “No pain, no gain” also applies in reading hard text. You’ll never know what to learn when you don’t read it entirely.

It’s also satisfying when you are committing to your discipline of finishing tasks. This builds your consistency. The more times you finish it, the higher your drive to continue doing it again will be.

3) You grow as a disciplined reader

To finish what you’ve started is a big part of being a disciplined reader. This is a way of telling yourself that you’re serious and you’re going to learn something from it.

In turn, you’re also training yourself that it’s worth your effort to finish reading challenging content. Your way of life becomes affected by this attitude as well.

You don’t need an IQ of 150+ to be disciplined. All it takes is an attitude of commitment and effort to push yourself to the end.

4) You can be a completer

Finishing a reading session is an obstacle, especially if you are learning something new or re-reading an old material. But did you know that completing any task rewards you with maturity and perseverance?

Giving up on something half-way through or even at the start doesn’t do anything good for you. Your brain loses motivation to do the next task you are supposed to do. Laziness sets in, and soon you’ll find yourself doing nothing.

Don’t give up on whatever you’re reading. You’ll greatly benefit its uses in the future. The frustration and boredom are worth the learning you’ll receive when you complete reading the material.

5) You develop attention to details

You might wonder why being detail-oriented comes with reading something difficult. For one, you’ll have a second look at anything that can be offensive, or strange that’s written. But if you consider the whole of the material, it will make sense.

Once you notice that you’re nitpicking certain parts of the article where you find it unpleasant, that’s your attention to detail. And being detail-oriented is a talent you can train and harness. One way to do it is by reading difficult stuff.

So, the next time you come across a difficult material or a thick research paper, don’t back down easily. See it as a chance to be attentive to details.

6) Your diligence improves

Diligence is doing something right even when the going gets tough. Your effort matters the most, the moment you start doing it. In this case, when you read difficult materials, no matter how hard it is to understand, make sure to finish it.

By doing this, you improve your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities and train yourself how you handle stress. You can be diligent in reading hard texts by analyzing all the details carefully.

So, the next time you feel that there’s no hope in trying to read challenging content, just remember that you’ll thank yourself later for it.

Why is It Important to Have Strong Reading and Writing Skills?

Here are the reasons why you must possess effective reading and writing skills:

Creative quality

Your reading experience matters a lot for both your reading and writing skills. It affects your creative quality and attention to detail. Your vocabulary increases as you become familiar with different words. All these can impact your quality of work just by reading difficult text.

Time management

Having an organized way of reading and writing also improves your time management. When you’re able to read difficult texts and write good notes, you save time in reviewing your notes and materials. 

Being organized in reading and writing also speaks about how you manage other aspects of your work and school activities.

Vocabulary

And in order to have a strong reading and writing skill, you should improve your vocabulary. You can do this by reading challenging content that is unpopular but helpful. Some books with complicated themes are the go-to books for vocabulary improvement.

Attention span

With improved reading and writing skills, you will also notice how long you can stay in a material for an extended period of time. It’s really important to make sure you’ve covered all of the content. 

Being able to concentrate on the same content is because you decided in your mind that you’re going to finish reading it. Without willpower, your attention span suffers. So, don’t give up reading, no matter how long it takes.

Why is Reading Comprehension Important for Students?

It can be difficult to read properly and deeply enough the difficult text. Nevertheless, it’s one of the best skills that you can train for yourself. Soon, you’ll realize how it greatly impacts your work, school and life.

Reading comprehension is a must for students, especially that they also encounter different reading levels on a daily basis. From traffic signs and road warnings, to mathematical problems and formulas, those require some reading level.

Thus, reading comprehension for students is very crucial, as they are in the peak learning stage of their life. As a result, students can learn at different levels, regardless of how long or hard the content may be.

How Reading Can Help You Become a Better Student and a Better Person?

Reading is a lifelong activity. It brings opportunities and concepts that can help you in your daily living. In understanding difficult content, it’s important to remember that you’re in that material to learn something new.

You also appreciate the authors’ efforts in reading their works as you comprehend them. And with the help of active reading methods like the SQ3R and the PQ4R methods, you’ll gain more than what you expect.

By reading with attention, it will help you gain a lot of insights, and practice the discipline of completing tasks. Your mind will have an easy way of remembering a lot of information when reading and learning in an organized way.

Why Should You Always Finish Reading Difficult Content (FAQs)

What to Do Next?

We live in a world where everything is given to us instantly, and reading hard texts can be very frustrating.

Fortunately, we also have resources and guides on how we can start challenging ourselves and how we can be a better reader.

When you strive to keep the discipline to finish what you started, whether it’s about reading or writing, you can be satisfied with understanding deeply any subject.

What’s your reading strategy so far? Let us know in the comments section. We’ll be glad to hear you out!